THE South Lakes author of a major new history of Bowness has revealed that much of his book was written in Saudi Arabia.

John Campbell's work - which extends to more than 500 pages - was researched in Cumbria but the writing was largely done while he was working as a lecturer in the Middle Eastern state.

Mr Campbell, who now lives in Kirkland, Kendal, said Village By The Water took between three and four years to complete, although he had nurtured the idea of a history of Bowness for many years.

A lecturer in English, he would return to South Lakeland for eight weeks' holiday each year and spend much of the time researching his book, which covers the Bowness's history from its "earliest times" to 1963.

Back in Saudi Arabia, where he taught English to degree level, Mr Campbell would spend his spare time writing the book, which he said is the first to tell "the complete story of Bowness throughout its history".

"It has truly been a labour of love,"said the 68-year-old, who grew up in Bowness and had a home there until the 1990s. "I would like to think of the book as my legacy to the village,"

Mr Campbell, who said his family had lived "for generations" in Bowness, tells the story of the village in nine thoroughly-researched chapters.

"When I came home on holiday from Saudi Arabia, I would spend a lot of time researching in Kendal Library where I received a lot of help and encouragement from the local studies librarian Jackie Fay," he said.

Mr Campbell also carried out research in the County Hall archives in Kendal and archives at Carlisle, Whitehaven and Barrow, where a lot of material about Windermere is kept.

His book begins tracing Bowness's history from a time "lost in antiquity" and Mr Campbell speculates that humans began occupying what we now know as the Lake District around 6,000 years ago after the end of the Ice Age.

Although there is no written evidence about Bowness until the early medieval period, he suggests "the landscape itself speaks of those far-off times" and that the village would have been ideal "for people seeking a secluded place that yet yielded an ample supply of food and fresh water".

At this stage in its development, the early village would have been very small - "a few dwellings set back a short way from the waterfront, as they are now, above the level of winter flooding and out of prying eyes" - and suggests the early houses would have been built of stone rather than wood or clay.

The book deals with varied subjects under chapter headings such as The Ancient Highway; Lords and Ladies; People, Priests and King; Strife and Struggle and Boating for Pleasure

The story of the village in modern times includes Mr Campbell's personal memories such as learning to swim as a child "on a grassy bank at the back of Belle Isle".

The richly-illustrated book also includes colourful maps and evocative photographs such as images of people skating on Windermere during The Great Freeze of 1895.

Village By The Water: A History of Bowness-on-Windermere by John L Campbell is published by Star Hill Publishing at £39.50. Email ajlcampbell@yahoo.com